This coming weekend marks the beginning of National Nutrition Month. This campaign was launched in 1973 when it was initially recognized as National Nutrition Week. This week provided an opportunity to promote and educate the public about health and wellness. By its fourth year, National Nutrition Week had grown immensely in the number of people it reached and in response to the campaign’s growth; it was expanded to National Nutrition Month in 1980. Every year, the month of March encompasses a different nutrition-focused theme to encourage nutritious choices. This year’s theme is “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.” Research shows that taste is a driving force when making food choices, so learning ways to make healthy and tasty meals is an important step to healthy eating. Challenging lifelong eating habits may be hard, although with the right tools it can be easy to modify your habits to start on a new path to a happy, healthy you!Here are a few tips to make sure nutrient-dense choices are always an easy go-to option anywhere, anytime!- Choose whole grain bread over white or enriched wheat flour when making sandwiches.- Avoid fried or battered foods and instead look for bakes or broiled options.- Choose low-fat plain Greek yogurt and top with frozen fruit and granola for a delicious, pre-made parfait.- Adopt ‘Meatless Mondays’ in your home and try new colorful vegetable-based recipes.- Cut up fruits and vegetables right after you bring them home from the store, so they are an easy-to-grab snack.”Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right” by consuming meals that pack the most nutrients for their punch, try to eat a meal full of color. So this month, try a new fruit or vegetable, or better yet try a fun new recipe! Here are a few ideas to get you started:Spaghetti Squash Primavera Lemony Kale SaladHow to Prepare an ArtichokeMashed Cauliflower
